Press Releases
Blessing of the Grapes Ceremony Celebrates Blackstone Winery's 2002 Monterey County Harvest
GONZALES, Calif.-Blackstone Winery celebrated its 2002 Monterey County harvest today during the Blessing of the Grapes. Father Michael of St. Theodore's Catholic Church in Gonzales conducted the traditional ceremony, giving thanks for this year's bounty. Jose Fernandez, President of Blackstone Winery welcomed winery staff and well-wishers for the first crush of Monterey County Chardonnay grapes.
"The quality of the 2002 harvest will enable us to continue building Blackstone's reputation throughout the U.S. and around the world. Over the past several years, Blackstone has rapidly become one of California's largest and most sought-after wine labels. We are very confident that the 2002 vintage wines from Monterey will allow us to accelerate that trend," Fernandez commented.
Immediately following the blessing ceremony, the grapes in the receiving hopper were pumped directly to a tank press for a very gentle squeezing. The freshly squeezed juice then was chilled and allowed to cold settle then brought to a fermentation tank. Once the fermentation is complete and the wine is "dry," the newly fermented wine will be racked again and allowed to clarify naturally through settling, leading to the aging process.
"The 2002 vintage is shaping up superbly. We have begun harvesting Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Fruit is being picked at slightly lower sugars than usual in order to retain natural acidity and capture fruit flavors at their peak," said Hugh Reimers, General Manager of Blackstone Winery regarding this year's harvest.
Blackstone Winery is located at 800 South Alta Street in Gonzales. Visitors can enjoy Blackstone varietals at the winery's tasting room, open from 11am - 4pm daily. For more information please call 831.675.5341.
Pacific Wine Partners, which commenced operations in August 2001, is a joint venture between Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), and BRL Hardy Ltd. (ASX: BRL). It is the U.S. importer for BRL Hardy brands including, Banrock Station, Hardys, Leasingham, Barossa Valley Estate and Chateau Reynella from Australia, Nobilo from New Zealand and La Baume from France. In addition to Blackstone, Pacific Wine Partners also owns Farallon, the award-winning wine from the Central Coast, together with a 24,000 ton winery and 1,400 acres of vineyards in Monterey County, California.
About Blackstone Winery
Pacific Wine Partners, which commenced operations in August 2001, is a joint venture between Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), and BRL Hardy Ltd. (ASX: BRL). It is the U.S. importer for BRL Hardy brands including, Banrock Station, Hardys, Leasingham, Barossa Valley Estate and Chateau Reynella from Australia, Nobilo from New Zealand and La Baume from France. In addition to Blackstone, Pacific Wine Partners also owns Farallon, the award-winning wine from the Central Coast, together with a 24,000 ton winery and 1,400 acres of vineyards in Monterey County, California.